HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1943-01-14, Page 7THE EXETER TIMES.ADVQCATE, THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY 14th, 1943 Page 7
“Secrets in Love”
by Phyllis Moore Gallagher
Jjasfc Week’s Action
Waited breathlessly for
week, looking forward
Gill's return from a husi-
Peg accidentally finds
a
to
Peg
whole
Howitt
ness trip,
Hewitt and Thalia Polk locked in
a tight embrace, stricken by her
discovery, Peg leaves the office and
goes home to Aunt Mehalie, telling
her that she is tired of her job and
intends to quit,
Anthony Covington, having called
Peg’s office, and learning that she
had resigned, called Aunt Me
halie’s, But Aunt Mehalie said that
Peg waSy asleep and she’d rather
not disturb her, Yes, she had real
ly resigned- Then Aunt Mehalie
told him something which had been
worrying her all morning, Duncan
had brought his bag last night to
stay the week-end with them, but he
hadn’t come back from some date.
he’d had. Nor had he reported at
the Munitions Building for work.
"That isn’t like Duncan,” Aunt
Mehalie said, “and I’m. worried."
She was almost ill with the belief
that something dreadful had hap
pened to Duncan. She had wanted
to speak to Peg about it, but Peg
had come home from the office, all
pale and nervous, and she hadn’t
wanted to pile anything else on her.
She said, finally: “Have you any
idea where he might be, Anthony?”
“Not the slightest, Aunt Mehalie,”
he said. He assured her he would
look into it. He’d run out to the
■bungalow to see if Duncan had
spent the night there. Then he
said: “I’ll get in touch with you
later. In the meantime, don’t wor
ry. I’m sure Duncan’s O.K.”
teacher's face in stenography.
She remembered climbing in a
ibus and riding a block top far and
walking back with the first soft snow
of the year 'falling like feathers
around her. And she remembered
how surprised she was when she
came in and stood there in the hall,
blinking at Aunt Mehalie and Count
Paul Stranyan sitting
open fire.
Aunt Mehalie right away.”
CHAPTER X
Count Shows
before the
Up
up instantlyCount Stranyan got
and came across the room to her,
He took her cold fingertips in his
and. kissed them gallantly. He said:
“But you forgot! You forgot this
was Friday. My night. I’ve been
waiting two hours, But that doesn’t
matter now,” He turned and smiled
at Aunt Mehalie. “I’ve had such a
delightful wait, such charming com
pany. I’ve quite lost my heart,”
Peg said in a small confused voice:
“I—I did forget. I’m sorry.” And
then, “You two know each other, of
course. But more formally, Aunt
Mehalie, this is Count Paul Stran-
toward the hall,
a few moments,
eat snails some
Aunt Melialie
Aunt Mehalie went into the
chen after that and began doing
things with thrown sugar and nuts
and flour. Peg loved brownies, she
was remembering, and maybe they’d
help a little to make her more cheer
ful tonight,
felt helpless
her sister’s
knew quite
to do about
she was fearfully afraid to
fere lest slie do something to
them from her, for she hadn’t known
how lonely she was until Peg had
moved in, bringing the sunshine of
her youth with her.
some children of my
thought.
And promptly cut the thought off
with the bright, sharp
determination. She never let her
self think back on those days of the
Spanish-American War, of the tall
young naval officer whose ship had
been the Maine. Once a year now,
usually on Memorial Day, she went
over to Arlington and stood for a
long while before-the mast of the
U.S.S. Main with is conning tower
still in place, with its white marble
, base bearing 229 names . . one be
loved lost name. She would per
mit herself thoughts on that day,
poignant memories. Afterwards she
would come back to ^Georgetown and
go to bed and lie awake the whole
night through.
But Peg didn’t eat the brownies
that night. She didn't eat anything.
When she saw Aunt Mehalie’s bright
blue gaze on her full plate Peg tried
to steer her attention into a chan
nel that was always of vital inter
est to her. “Tomorrow morning I’ll
make some of those ice-box cookies
with walnuts. For your Dames
meeting, Aunt Mehalie,” she said.
“They’re awfully good. Dad used
to be crazy about them.” And
speaking of her father like that her
heart cried out at her as it had a
thousand times that afternoon,
“Dad, what am I going to do? Dad
if you were only here to tell me!”
She put her hands up over her
face. Her cheeks were like ice
against her palms.
Aunt Mehalie’s voice cut through
her thoughts: rtPeg—what’s the
matter?”
Peg took her hands down quickly.
She said, brokenly: “Nothing. Not a
thing in the world. Everything is
just simply swell!” And she got up
from the table, ran blindly but into
the hall, gathered up her hat and
coat and rushed out into the night.
Always the ilext two hours would
be a blank in Peg’s mind. 'She re
membered vaguely typing at school,
she remembered the scowl on the
kit-
Somehow she always
and futile with
children. ‘She
what to say or
their problems.
these,
never
what
And
inter
drive
“If I’d had
own,” she
scissors of
yan.” She turned
“I can be ready in
We’re supposed to
place, aren’t we?”
He laughed at that, “Snails at 7
o’clock would be fine, but at 10—
hardly. With your permission let
me take you to- a very interesting
place I know.” He told her where
it was. Peg had heard about it,
what a gay night spot it .was.
“That’ll be mad, mad fun/'
said in a,voice that completely
tradicted her words.
Aunt Mehalie followed her
stairs. "
she said,
the edge
her eyes
bright.
“But he didn’t leave any message.
Said he was sorry you weren’t well.
Said he’d call later if he got the
chance. I didn’t tell him you had
gone to school. I said you were in
bed. After all, Mr. Nelson thinks
you are sick, you know.” ?
Then Aunt Mehalie said: “Why
don’t you wear that blue dress? It’s
the most becoming thing you have.
Especially when you wear the blue
hat. Peg, Count Stranyan is per
fectly delightful. He’s had such a
glamorous life. So much excitement.
I was just thinking that if you and
he . . my, my, nothing like that has
ever happened to any one in our
family . . why, it’s just plain excit
ing to think about it.”
Peg said, smiling a little: “You’re
an incurable romanticist, Aunt Me
halie. I think you said something
quite similar about Anthony Cov
ington. I think you very carefully
pointed out that Anthony had had
a glamorous life and so much
citement, what with being in
thick of things in China, not
mention Spain . . ”
“But
waiting
already
I forgot the date I’d made,
anything very important,
Peg replied after she listened to
Anthony on the telephone.
For a moment there was nothing
but the crackling on the telephone
wire. Then Anthony said: “Go on.
Keep your date. Especially if he's
already there.” But his voice was
Still tight and strained as he added;
“Have fun.”
And amazingly enough, Peg
have fun. She also had three
tent cocktails,
ter the other,
didn’t seem to
she didn’t seem
had been a great one for tossing
drinks into the nearest potted plant.
She discovered, too, that Paul
Stranyan was popular in the gay,
festive group of people who were
a mixture of Washington’s wealthy,
its politicians,
the men rather
around him it
Paul Stranyan
was titled, he was definitely eligible
and lie was probably a great philan
derer.
Anthony, Paul Stranyan is
for me downstairs now, I’ve
kept him waiting two hours,
It isn’t
is it?”
can which would cure him of his
infatuation for Nadeja Damara,
Mixed up in this careful reasoning
was Joan Covington’s small heart-
shaped face, Puncan’s desperate
eyes and a knowledge that she was
a little drunk and was probably on
the verge of making a fool of her
self.
She had nothing really formulat
ed in her mind. Only that she was
going to get that card. She sat staring at the gold chatelaine which
lay on the cocktail table at Ntfdeja’s
elbow. Just a little to the right of
her champagne. Why, it would >be
simple as anything, thought Peg,
giggling. . , .
She said very quickly: “That’s a
Iamb of a place they’re playing now,
Paul, Let’s dance!”
LETTERS FROM OVERSEAS
she
con-
up-
Tdewitt Gill telephoned,”
Peg leaned hack against
of her vanity for support,
suddenly very blue and
Another Call
ex-
the
to
forAunt Mehalie looked sheepish
a moment. And then she became
suddenly very serious. "I still think
so,” she said evenly.. “They’re both
grand men. They’ve got background
and ‘breeding, something which your
Mr. Gill doesn't know the first thing
about. I didn’t have to talk to him
but two seconds to know that every
thing about him was spurious. For
that one reason alone I’m gla^
you’ve left Mr. Nelson's office. No
good would have come of you seeing
too much of Hewitt Gill. And don’t
think I haven't noticed which way
the wind was beginning to blow. Be
cause I have. Why is it that when
a girl can have a choice of a dozen
men she always picks
worst one in the lot?”
out the very
spinster had
gone, closing
and pausing
old
was
her
blank with amaze-
“Why, I never . .”
But the little
said her say and
the door behind
there in the hall
ment at herself,
she thought, frightened and a little
weak, and went on down the stairs,
feeling the weight of her 72 years.
She didn’t even hear the telephone
ringing.
But the rustle of its tbells echoed
in Peg's heart. That Would be
Hewitt, she thought, With a weak,
all-gone feeling in her stomach.
What would she say? But it wasn’t
Hewitt. It was Anthony. Anthony
said in a voice that was tight and
strained: “Peg, I’m Coming straight
over there. I’ve got to see you and
Nerve Pills to assist
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Look for our registered trade mark a “Rod Heart” on the package.
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did
po
uf-
she
one immediately
On the fourth
care about anything;
to remember that she
its hangers-on. If
sheltered their dates
was natural enough,
was handsome, he
At the Night Club
People surged up to his table.
They said: “Hiyuh, Paul?” “Hullo
Paul.” “Well, if it isn’t the mad
lover himself!’ In twenty minutes
she had met a famous lobbyist who
bragged openly about a certain bill
he had squashed, a woman who had
been married so often every one
called her June Bug, a score of de
butantes and a young civic-minded
newspaperman who had done a lot
to end alley-dwellings in Washing
ton. He had told her about those
horrid mushroom shantytowns, with
shelters made out of pieces of tin,
cast-off lumber and beaverboard.
“Right in the shadow of the Capi
tol,” he had said. Then he had said:
“I drink to a bigger and to a more
beautiful Washington! ”
Peg had howled. She had giggled.
The giggle sounded funny in her
ears. It almost frightened her,
“Why I’m as tight as a monkey,”
she thought. And she was ... al
most. She heard Paul Stranyan say
“Drink it down, Peg.
ing to life in six easy installments!
There is no place in life for moping
and you were doing a beautiful job
of it when I first saw
Then suddenly she
ing at all. A man and
come into the room,
see Peg. Even if they hag they
wouldn’t, have noticed her or .known
that they had seen her before,
woman was Nadeja Damara.
black velvet now with her
sleekly polished, like a gold cap fit
ted tightly over her perfect head.
Diamonds dripped from her ears and
there was a circlet of diamonds
around her wrist. She took her
place at a table marked “reserved”.
Presently two other men joined
them. Big men. Darkly foreign.
Suave in their Continental meticu
lousness.
Nadeja Damara was radiant, Peg
saw. Her violet eyes outshone her
jewels as she moved her gaze ar.ound
the room, nodding to a Senator,
smiling sweetly to a debutante. She
seemed to be looking for some one
and yet seemed equally pleased that
that some one was not present.
Then something happened which
made Peg draw up in her chair,
rigidly, her back stiff, her eyes a
little blurred. She shook her head
to clear her fuddled vision. No
one in that whole dimly-lit room
had been gazing at Nadeja Damara
with Peg’s intensity. No
was sure, saw just exactly
had seen.
Peg’s Subterfuge
Paul stranyan leaped to his feet,
His heels clicked, Peg passed in
front of him, began threading her
way through the sea of little tables
toward the danpe floor. Deliberately
toward Nadeja Damara’s table.
Once there she stumbled on her own
heel, would have fallen hard if
she had not caught herself on the
small cocktail table and gone down
to the floor with it.
There was a moment’s confusion
with Nadeja worried lest the'cham
pagne ruin her gown, tapping her
fingers against her flowing skirt, A
waiter added to the confusion, too,
stammering apologies, mopping up
the floor, putting the table in place,
brushing it with his serviette, Peg,
coming up from the floor with Paul
Stranyan's aid, ibegan mopping her
own drenched skirt. The waiter was
handing Nadeja her gold chatelaine,
Paul Stranyan, with his face bright
ly crimson, was apologizing to every
one within" a radius of seven tables.
It was
to Peg
having
The
been taken out of Najeda Damara’s
gold chatelaine lay like a red hot
coal against her breast. She was
thoroughly frightened now.
She excused Jherself from Paul
and went out of the cocktail room
and down the hall to the ladies’
room. She was still dizzy, the glow
that had been all over her like sun
shine was completely gone and her
heart was thumping intolerably.
England, Pec. 9, 1942
Exeter Disk War Time Rd.:
X was. more than pleased to re
ceive my first parcel from Exeter
District today. I cannot express my
gratitude for your kindness to me.
You will be glad to know that
each Of the articles contained in
the (box is most useful and will bring
me much comfort when it is most
needed,
I have Just returned from my first
leave since coming oyer here. It
was spent in Edinburgh and north
ern England and while there I was
a guest of Mr, Wm. Cook’s sister.-
The people in Scotland and that
part of England will go out of their
way to do all they can for
adian soldier.
In my travelling around
of the Island where I am
I have met quite a number of the
local boys who are anxious for news
of the old home town,
I did want you to know that your
parcel arrived safely. Will
please convey my thanks ’to
committee.
Yours
the Cun-
this j) art
stationed
you
the
sincerely,
W. A. Fraser
A. Fraser,A8G010 Pte, W.
5 C.A.D. Support Group,
Canadian Army Overseas.
* * *
England, Dec.
Exeter War Time Board;
I received the lovely
useful parcel safely and
ing this time to write t
R.C.O.C.,
11,1942
very
suddenly like a nightmare
. She was, all at once, not
been very tight, cold sober,
little white card which had
(To be continued)
SHIPPING SPACE SAVED
AS FOODS ARE SHIPPED
IN DRIED FORM
You’re com-
you tonight.”
wasn’t laugh-
a woman had
They didn’t
The
In
hair
one, Peg
what she
3,000,000 tons of water last
Now a number of imported
commodities, says the Times,
in dried form, thus saving an
tainly would love to be In Canada
for Christmas but are willing to
sacrifice a few of those happy hours
until that time comes when every
one will be able to spend Christmas
at home.
Thanking you once again and wish-
Iing you
remain,
a very merry Christinas,
Sincerely,
C. W. Hicks
Fit. Sgt. Hicks, C, W.
A.P.O. 937, Seattle,
R99822,
R.C.A.F.,
Washington, U.S.A.
♦ * ' >
MRS. A. S. CIJSSON is now in perfect health.
She had stubborn indigestion, constipation and
biliousness with bad breath. Fruit-a-tiyes
stimulated her liver—made her feel years
younger. Buck up your liver with Fruit-a-tives,
Canada’s Largest Selling Liver Tablets.
Bd.:
parcel from
Everything
shape. I can
It
Southampton, Dec. 5, 1942
Exeter Disk War Time
I received the lovely
the committee today,
was lovely and in good
make good use of everything,
is good to receive things from home
and to know you still think of us
over here.
I like England fine and am in a
very interesting branch of the ser
vice, But I am hoping and living
for the day when we can get back
home again.
Again I
parcel. It
England, Nov, 3'0, 1942
Dear Friends;
I received your very welcome par
cel a few days ago. It Is a treat to
get anything from back home as
it brings back memories which can
not be forgotten, I have not been
over as long as the other boys from
home, but I have made the best of
the time and I have already made
numerous friends.
The people over here are very
good to us, but it’s still not like
home. Things here are very quiet
at present. There is no excitement
to speak of and anything from home
gives something to do and to keep
up the spirit.
Thank you one and all for the
parcel ad I appreciated it very much.
Sincerely yours,
Eric Jennings
Dvr. E. C. Jennings,
Armored Div.,
Group Coy.,
(C.H.) (H),
say many thanks for the
is appreciated very much.
Yours truly,
Bill
Chambers, W. S.,
Corps of Can. Fire Fighters,
Alliance Hotel, Oxford St.,
Southampton, England.
T133 L.F.
and
I am tak-
and thank
you and the Exeter and District War
Time Board for same. Each and
every one of us chaps appreciates
these parcels more than mere words
can tell and I must also remark that
the selection of articles which are
sent could not be improved upon.
They are all things which are very
essential and are the very things
which are the hardest to obtain
over here.
Will close by again thanking ev
eryone connected with this work
for the kindness and thoughtful
ness shown toward us chaps. Cheerio
and all the best.
Yours sincerely,
I. L. Harness
A9502 Pte. I. L. Harness,
1 Cdn. Div. Sup. Coy.,
(3 Coy.), R.C.A.S.C.,
Canadian Army Overseas
* *
Alaska, Dec. 15,
Exeter War Time Board:
Received your grand parcel and'
Christmas greetings this morning. It I
is difficult to express my most sin- ;
cere thanks to you of the Exeter
District in writing. The contents
are one hundred per cent approp
riate and are appreciated immense
ly. Everything is in excellent con
dition, considering and in compari
son with the largest majority of
parcels arriving here from Canada.
We have moved from the A.P.O.
address on your parcel—a common
occurrence which does not help our
mail situation. However, I believe
we are settled here for a while
mail is coming in surprisingly
gularly.
•Strict censorship prevents
from relating any of our experience-
es or everyday life up here but I
can say we are all happy and quite
content. Of course we most cer-
* $ *
1942England, Dee. 7,
Time Board;
thank you for the par-
received from the Exe-
*
1942
Exeter War
I wish to
cel which I
ter District War Time Board: I am
very sorry that I could not ac
knowledge the parcel sooner, but I
I was in a general hospital at the
time and was not allowed to do much
letter writing but I appreciated the
parcel a great deal.
It is December now but one would
not think it after being used to the
hard Canadian winters, as many
flowers are still in bloom over here.
I am planning on going on leave
for Christmas and New Year’s—
j Christmas in England and New
i Year’s in Scotland, as they really
j celebrate New Year’s up there.
I must say cheerio again, but not
before thanking you again for your
gift and I hope that this will -soon
be over so I can get back and thank
you all in person.
Yours sincerely,
Bill Higgins
A63134
4th Cam
Support
R.C.A.S.C.
Canadian Army Overseas
This mail also included
mas greetings from Pilot
Ralph Delbridge, dated
September 6 and from Major E. E.
Tieman, with the Royal Canadian.
Army Medical Corps, England.
Christ-
Officer
Egypt,
Motorist: “I will give you $5.4)0
for that picture.”
Artist: “Won’t you wait until I
have finished it?”
Motorist: “No; I want the canvas
to mend a puncture.
import 10‘0,00 0
The equivalent
in shell would
■or six times as
I
A recent news item in the Lon
don Times Weekly states that prior
to the war Great Britain brought
in with her food imports no less
than
year,
food
come
immense amount in shipping space.
For example, a quart of milk
when fresh weighs some 41 ounces,
and has a volume of 69 cubic inches.
As a powder, it weighs 5.3 ounces,
with a volume of only 15.6 cubic
inches. If the powder is compress
ed into block the volume is fur
ther reduced to 7.7 cubic inches.
This discovery, says the item, makes
it possible for rich spring and ear
ly summer milk to be preserved for
winter use.
It is estimated that during 1943
Great Britain will,
tons of dried egg.
importation as egg
.be more than five
much in bulk. Already, says the
Times, samples of dried meat have,
reached Great Britain from New
Zealand, Australia, Argentina and
the United States. This is literally
meat minus moisture. Not only
are dried meat and eggs economical
of shipping space, but they do not
require refrigeration for transport
or storing.
The item goes on to say that
scientists in both Great Britain and
the Dominions have co-operated to
produce a method of shipping and
storing butter without refrigera
tion. By removing the water and
non-fatty solids, a pure, dry butter
fat is obtainable which is relative
ly non-perishable, cannot be spoil
ed by micro-organisms,
keep for months
tion.
Great care has
sure that the full
dried foods is retained,
item, and in general it can be said
that if their palatability is retained,
so also is their nutritive value.
That they do retain their Vitamins
during drying and storage has been
thoroughly tested. Mtgjufacture is
now in progress, it states, ill Can
ada, the United States, Argentina,
Australia, New Zealand and Great
Britain itself.
Are you getting your share of the
increased business in our town? .
For years our town has been the best business centre in Huron County. Actual sur
veys have proven Exeter’s top rating.and will
Without refrigera-What peg Saw
the men who
and her escort had,
quickest of movements,
■handed Nadeja something beneath
the table. Something small and
squa.re and White, She took it with
a gesture so swift and so practised
that Peg had held her breath. Na
deja put it into her little gold cha
telaine bag in her lap, snapped the
jeweled fastener and clung to it
with
the
Was
ping
Peg had her own explanation for
what she had seem Especially after
she asked Paul Stranyan who was
Nadeja's escort. He was, Stranyan
had told h6r, not particularly in
terested, her husband. And that
meant, decided Peg excitedly, that
Nadeja Damara Was carrying on
Some sort Of ail affair with the dark
young man who now sat on her left.
It was probably a love letter, A
little card with a message of a ren
dezvous Oh it.
In any event, Rog decided, it she' FOR SALE—A man’s leather coat
could get hold of that card, slid I in good condition. Apply at the
might have something to tell Dun- Times-Advocate Office.
One of
joined her
the very
had just
with
fingers that showed white at
knuckles. All the while she
laughing and talking and sip
hon champagne,
been taken to en-
nutritive value of
says the
A comedian stopped a newsboy
Who was vigorously plying his trade.
“I say, sonny, d'yOu Want a new
job?’* he asked.
“Don’t mind, sir; what is it?
plied the boy.
“Wall, my manager is looking for
a lad like you to play the fool.”
“oh, he is, is he? What’s the
idea-—to fil’d you or to keep two of
usF’
Now we have one of the largest airport of its type close at hand and many of the
families of the R.C.A.F. personnel have moved in among us. This means a larged
turnover for our businessmen. Our business rating is climbing sharply. Are you
getting your share of the increasing trade?
To get new customers, Mr. Merchant, you must induce people to come to your store.
Only a small fraction of your business walks in the front door uninvited. You have
to make an effort to attract customers to your establishment.
Yes, it’s true you have the finest merchandise in the land—BUT you won’t sell much
of it if the public doesn’t know what you have in stock. That’s the purpose of
advertising.
The Exeter Times-Advocate
the Surest Mean of Reaching Your Customers